3 Secrets To The Best School Year Ever™ (How I’m Owning College AND High School)

We’re so close, I’m already beginning to imagine it… raking leaves in the chilly autumn air. Salted Caramel flavored everything. S’mores and campfires and fuzzy jackets. And that means it’s time for…. a new school year!!!

*distant sobbing*

Yeah, I’m not even going to pretend I like school. I count it as something to be grateful for, sure, but it’s like the United States school system is trying to make us go insane.

I’ve been through this rodeo plenty of years now (tenth grade & dual enrolling in college, wohoo), and I can safely say that I’ve learned a thing or two about how to deal with the pressure without falling prey to a total identity crisis.*

*ok so maybe i have a mini identity crisis every now and again??? just a little one!!

find the study style that works best for you

Have you ever spent hours and hours on the same essay or worksheet, pouring over it until you’ve got a barely-acceptable assignment? ME TOO MAN. Unfortunately, I’ve found that you can’t blame everything on the difficulty of homework. The method with which you use to study can be the very thing that makes you frustrated.

For example, I learn best when I watch a demonstration of what I should be doing while taking notes. Not just regular notes, pretty notes with doodles all over them. This helps me retain what I’ve learned in an organized fashion, while also giving me a creative outlet.

(Plus, I usually have super cute art by the end of class, like this sketch of my baby boy proposing to Nya.* I couldn’t resist showing you, they’re just too adorable. ❤ )

While I’m content working with a documentation of my whole class, my brother takes home the few scribbled notes he has after class and researches. He learns better by reading and physically doing assignments. Another kid in our class absorbed information best when talking one-on-one with our teacher. Another watched videos.

There’s a different method of learning for almost every person, so if what works for your friends doesn’t work for you, don’t sweat it! Try something new: work with a friend, watch a video, call your teacher. Remember that what works in English might vary from the method used in Math. Experiment!

*spoiler alert: apparently this is actually going to happen in the series and i’m still shellshocked that my otp is about to become official *curls up in a ball and happy-sobs*

don’t be afraid to ask for help

I have a math tutor this year.

It’s no surprise to anyone that I hate math. Absolutely loathe it. Why do we have to learn about pi or exponents or any of the dumb stuff after fractions and decimals?? It’s not like every young teenager on the planet is considering a career as a scientist or accountant!* It’s torture.

@ math

Now that I’m taking both high school and college classes, I need all the help I can get to learn and retain all this information being stuffed in my head. Honestly, though, it was embarrassing to accept that I needed assistance. I have this odd mentality of ‘i’m 15! i’m in college! i should be able to teach myself like i have since fifth grade!!’

But I cannot. Because I. Need. Help.

Truth: we all need help sometimes. Pride can tell us we can buckle down and do it ourselves, but, seriously, if we’d only let down our walls, the challenges of school would be so much easier. If there’s an opportunity to get help from a friend, teacher, or, heck, even a tutor, take it!

*actually i’m 50% sure math class is just to teach future math teachers so schools won’t run out of teachers. or maybe it’s run by the kleenex people so they can sell a bunch of products as students everywhere have mental breakdowns???

relax

Wait, let me say that with a little more emphasis.

»»»»»»»»¡RELAX!««««««««

We’re all overwhelmed. There are a million different things going on in our lives — school, relationships, jobs or small businesses, college touring, sports… the list could go on forever. But I’ve been noticing that there’s way too much pressure put on the importance of school. I hear it everywhere I go, especially from parents. ‘omg you gotta have a good transcript’ and all that hogwash, you know?

It doesn’t just affect us on the outside, though. A lot of kids lose valuble time trying to live up to expectations of being a ‘good’ student. I have a friend with a minor injury in her hands because she stresses so much. And, honestly, who hasn’t stayed up ’till 1am trying hard to cram for a test?

As a college and high school student, here’re my two cents: we need to chill out. A simple grade isn’t worth this insane stress epidemic.

No, I’m not saying you should slack off or ‘just get by,’ not at all. That’s abusing the privileges we’ve been given. But school isn’t the life-or-death situation it’s made up to be. Truth: transcript records aren’t everything. Employers and college scouts aren’t looking for some perfect star student who got all A’s in math. They’re looking for loyal, honest workers who are passionate about their craft and willing to do everything it takes to improve their flaws.

So, is school important? Yes. But you know what’s more important? Character, communication, and the ability to learn on the field.

Ayyy, here’s the end of the post! I hope you’re a little less flustered, or at least you find a little bit of relatable-ness here.

To close the post out, give me your two cents. What’s the #1 issue you’ve struggled with concerning school? If you’ve already graduated, what advice would you give to those of us still trudging through homework and math?

love,

💛 spread the love 💛

Like this:

Related

Published by abby // whenwordsfly.com

hi, i’m abby - dreamer, traveler, and ninja fanatic! my passion is to inspire young creatives like me to follow their dreams... and have the time of their lives doing it! posting uplifting encouragement every friday on whenwordsfly.com ✨
View all posts by abby // whenwordsfly.com

28 thoughts on “3 Secrets To The Best School Year Ever™ (How I’m Owning College AND High School)”

AND EEEEEEKKKKKK I’M SO EXCITED TO WATCH THE NEXT SEASON OF NINJAGO. EVEN MORE NOW. squealsscreamsflails I am totally disappointed that they changed how they look (they look way better the other way) but at least there’s this. :3

yay!! 😂 lol
YEEET I AM HOOPED. 2019 is supposed to be a super big year for ninjago 😍 but seriously THESE KIDS BETTER GET ENGAGED. yes the old look was definitely better, but i’ve grown to kinda like the new look. especially lloyd. the boy is adorable asdfgHH!!!

These are such good tips! I totally agree with finding a study plan that works for you-for me, it’s working with other people to go through material and doing assignments. Your notes are so cute :)) Thank you for the reminder to relax!

I have just recently found your blog, and I am enjoying your articles! I’m not a fan of the Ninjago TV Show (only the movie sort of), but I love appreciate the fun GIFs and all the references. Your sketch is cute!

You’re welcome! I have both chemistry and geometry this year. Geometry isn’t that bad but it’s chemistry that’s giving me a hard time. Like who’s idea was it to mix math AND science? 😅 And yes those are adorable. 😍

Wow, go you for taking high school and college classes! 🙂 When you’re in school, it’s really easy to get your priorities mixed up, like putting grades over health. Because at the moment, it seems like grades are the most important thing, but in the long haul? Maybe not so much? Especially since I’m in college now, the most important thing is building skills I can use in real life, not trying to get straight As. Good post, and good luck with school and not stressing yourself out!

Mini identy crisis HA 😅 Dude I legit had a full mental breakdown every other day the past 3 years before my mom yanked me out of my Co-Op. 😂
Survival Guide:
Don’t overthink
Do pray
Don’t lock yourself in a room and cry
Do eat ice cream to cope sometimes 😂